עֶשְׂרִים315 H6242
Twenty — the cardinal number used for counting, age, measurement, and compound numerals
Esrim is the indeclinable plural form of the number ten, functioning as the cardinal 'twenty' throughout the Hebrew Bible. Across 315 occurrences it counts years of age (Gen 31:38), cubits of measurement (Exod 38:18), thousands of soldiers, and calendar dates. It also combines freely with units ('twenty thousand,' 1 Chr 18:4) and other numerals for compound counts. Every target language uses its basic numeral: Spanish 'veinte,' French 'vingt,' German 'zwanzig' — a reminder that number words are among the most semantically stable items in any lexicon.
Senses
1. twenty (cardinal number) — The cardinal number twenty, employed across legal, narrative, and genealogical texts for quantities, ages, measurements, and dates. As the ancient plural of 'eser ('ten'), it reflects a base-ten counting system. It appears in formulas like 'from twenty years old and upward' (Num 1:3) for military census and in architectural measurements of the tabernacle and temple. Compound uses such as 'twenty thousand' (1 Chr 18:4) are common. 315×
AR["العِشرينَ", "عِشرونَ", "عِشرينَ", "عِشْرونَ", "عِشْرُونَ", "عِشْرِينَ"]·ben["কুড়ি", "কুড়িটি", "বিশ"]·DE["zwanzig"]·EN["twenty"]·FR["vingt"]·heb["עשרים"]·HI["¶", "बिस", "बीस"]·ID["dua puluh", "dua-puluh"]·IT["venti"]·jav["kalih-dasa", "kalih-dasa,"]·KO["스물", "이십", "이십과", "이십의"]·PT["vinte", "vinte-de-"]·RU["двадцати", "двадцать", "двадцатью"]·ES["veinte"]·SW["dhiraa-ishirini", "ishirini", "miaka-ishirini"]·TR["yirmi"]·urd["بیس"]
Gen 18:31, Gen 31:38, Gen 31:41, Gen 32:14, Gen 32:14, Gen 32:15, Exod 26:18, Exod 26:19, Exod 26:20, Exod 27:10, Exod 27:10, Exod 27:11 (+38 more)
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G3956 1. all (collective plural) (616×)H3967 1. cardinal numeral hundred (550×)H1419a 1. great, large (general quality) (486×)H7969 1. cardinal number three (431×)H0505 1. cardinal number thousand (427×)H7651 1. seven (cardinal number) (393×)G1520 1. cardinal number one (339×)H6240 1. ten (cardinal number) (334×)H2568 1. cardinal number five (309×)H0702 1. four (cardinal number) (277×)G3956 2. every, each (distributive) (227×)H8337 1. six (cardinal number) (215×)G3956 3. all things, everything (substantive) (211×)G3956 4. (187×)H6235 1. ten (177×)G3173 1. great in size or extent (176×)H7970 1. thirty (cardinal number) (168×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
עֶשְׂרִים315 n.pl.indecl. (a) twenty (ancient pl. of עֶשֶׂר Prä BAS i. 376; NH = BH; Arabic عِشْرُونَ; Assyrian ešrâ; Sab. עשרי HomChrest. 48; Ethiopic ዕሥራ: Aramaic עשרין, ܥܶܣܪܝܺܢ; Nab. עשרין);— I. as cardinal: 1. without other num.: a. usually sq. n.s. (especially שָׁנָה, אִישׁ, אַמָּה, etc.) Gn 31:38 1 S 14:14 Ex 38:18 + 64 times, + עֶשְׂרִים אֶלֶף 20,000 1 Ch 18:4 + 7 times + Ez 45:1 (reading…